Making Hood Straps

One of the unique design components of STREET RODDER’s 2010 Road Tour car is how the hood is secured without hood sides. Dual hood straps, usually found on vintage European cars, is the answer, and not only do they give the Road Tour roadster a unique look, but it’s quite functional too.

2/24

Cotati Speed Shop, the Santa Rosa, California-based, builders of the 2010 Road Tour car, enhanced the car’s vintage appeal by using the spring-loaded tie-downs, which can be bought in kit form (for roughly $250) from LimeWorks Speed Shop in Whittier, California. The kit comes with all of the necessary hardware as well as 6 feet of 1-1/4-inch leather. Once assembled, Cotati Speed Shop then used an oil to tone the leather and give it some “age.” The following photos show how they made everything work.

3/24Straps were used in two places on the car: to secure the luggage to the bed with a standard belt-type tie (shown), and a spring-loaded setup to hold the hood down.

Using a hole punch designed for leather, the rivet holes are added to the leather strap.